Let's Go Outdoors TV, S02E07 03/24/2013

Stories featured this week include:

Mary goes batty
Mary talks with a bat researcher in Waterton National Park about these elusive creatures. Biologists engage in the tricky process of cataloguing the different bat species in the park through a combination of techniques including netting and acoustic monitoring.

Hybrid hot spot for new bird species
Michael's field binoculars get a workout as he accompanies Dr. Hudon from the Royal Alberta Museum on a spotting expedition in search of the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. The foothills of the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains are a unique, Canadian hybrid hotspot where eastern and western species meet and hybridize.

Electro-fishing along Lynx Creek
We look at how biologists use electro-fishers to measure fish populations in the Castle River drainage near Pincher Creek. This type of techno-fishing is critical for easuring fish populations of all size classes. Don't try this yourself or you could get badly zapped!

Horse patrols in provincial parks
Fish Creek Provincial park is one of the largest urban parks in Canada. It makes sense for Conservation Officers to use horses here as the perfect way to cover vast areas, leave minimal environmental impact, and offer some great PR value.

Woodland Caribou research
The Woodland Caribou in Alberta are listed as endangered, despite their vast range. There is a study underway looking at what impact the oil and gas industry is having on caribou population numbers.

Outdoor Guide - choosing a life jacket
Brad Fenson returns with some tips on choosing the right life jacket for your water sport, be it angling, paddling or waterskiing. Not wearing a life jacket accounts for 87% of drownings.

Kids Can Catch program
A group of grade 7 and 8 students from Slave Lake are introduced to fishing by a group of mentors from the RCMP, Fish and Wildlife, volunteer Fire Department and the Sheriff's department. Not only do they have a blast fishing, but they have a rare opportunity to interact with law enforcement in a positive way.